Join me in welcoming Shelley Munro to the Silken Rapture Contest. She’s here to talk about–and give away a copy of–Fancy Free to one commenter on her post today. Plus, if you haven’t yet signed up for the Free Kindle Touch 3-G, be sure to do so here.

Welcome Shelley!

When A Square Peg Doesn’t Fit! by Shelley Munro

We’ve all been there…smack in the middle of a situation where we have no control and feel as if we’re adrift on a huge sea in a rudderless boat. We might experience this sensation when we attend a different school or start a new job. From the minute we walk into the classroom or office people stare. They might whisper to each other and increase our discomfort. After all, they know exactly what they’re doing and are familiar with the routine, while we’re floundering and trying to get to grips with the local routine.
Fish out of water syndrome!
You know what I’m talking about, right? I see you all nodding.
Because everyone understands the emotions and feelings these uncomfortable situations create, the fish out of water plotline is a classic one.
I’m sure you’re familiar with the tale of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, which is a typical fish out of water story. When Alice goes down the rabbit hole, she ends up in a world that’s very confusing and full of strange rules. She needs to think on her feet in order to survive.
A few years ago, I wrote a fish out of water story called Fancy Free. Since I adore the Alice in Wonderland story, I appropriated the character name and wrote my own modern version. The heroine, Alice Beasley unexpectedly receives an inheritance from her godmother. To her shock, and her boyfriend’s consternation, it turns out she’s inherited a company that manufactures condoms. There are strings to the inheritance. She must participate in the day-to-day business of the company or she’ll forfeit the inheritance.
Alice is relatively innocent and inexperienced in sexual matters. It’s a huge shock when she’s thrust into the world of condoms. Here’s a small taste of her embarrassment, doubt and her confusion regarding the sexy manager of Fancy Free:

Alice nodded vigorously and reached for a glass of water. The tremor of her right hand brought a self-conscious frown. “I’m fine. Please continue.” What on earth was she doing here? She pushed a lock of hair off her face and wished she could fan the fiery heat from her face. And she still didn’t understand why her godmother had left her the condom company at all. When she’d attempted to ask her parents, they’d brushed her off with excuses about church and religion. Even the lawyer Mr. Bellbooth had said he wasn’t sure of her godmother’s reasons, but did it really matter? An unladylike snort emerged.
“Is something wrong?” James asked in a husky voice.
“I’m fine. No problem.” She barely halted the telltale shiver of bliss at the sound of his voice. As one, everyone turned to stare at her and that heightened her awareness of the wretched man. This was ridiculous. How could an almost virgin run a condom company? She had no experience to draw on. She could hardly count her one time at university as experience. The heat in her cheeks intensified even farther when she sneaked a look at the photo on top of the folder. Half expecting a voice to shout, “Off with her head,” she swallowed and wondered if they’d notice if she ran from the room. Oh dear. Her gaze wandered to the photo again without waiting for her brain to give permission.
The condom was a delicate violet color and had tiny raised dots all over the surface. It looked like an alien creature with chicken pox. There were certainly alien appendages attached. Hard to say what that round bit did…

A story of this nature is a great vehicle for humor too. My heroine Alice Beasley is way out of her depth and makes a few mistakes along the way before she starts to feel at home as the owner of a condom company.
Purchase your copy of FANCY FREE at Ellora’s Cave, All Romance ebooks or at Amazon Kindle. It’s currently on sale at all three bookstores.

And watch out for CHRISTMAS IS COMING, a return visit to the Fancy Free world, due out at Ellora’s Cave during December.

SHELLEY’S CONTEST: Win a download of Fancy Free. To enter the draw all you need to do is tell me about a situation which has made you feel as if you’ve jumped down a rabbit hole or you can share with me a title of one of your favorite “fish out of water” stories.

Shelley Munro lives in New Zealand with her husband of twenty-nine years and a mischievous puppy called Bella. She writes romantic, funny and spicy tales for Ellora’s Cave, Carina Press and Samhain Publishing. To learn more about Shelley and her books visit http://www.shelleymunro.com You can also find her on Twitter @ShelleyMunro

BLURB:Warning: Condoms were tested and a few harmed during the writing of this story.

It’s not every day a girl inherits a condom company, and to say accountant Alice Beasley is astonished and out of her depth is putting it mildly. For an almost virgin, she needs a quick education in all things condom because her inheritance is in danger. Someone is intent on sabotage and playing nasty, trying to destroy her new company.

Alice is suddenly getting down and dirty with charismatic James, the factory manager, all in the name of business, testing new condom designs. The sex is hot. Mind-blowing. It’s a dark thrill and an erotic journey. Yeah, it’s a hard job, but a girl’s got to do what a girl’s gotta do.

The testing turns personal. Alice wants James. She craves his talented touch and sultry kisses, she desires passion and physical pleasure on a permanent basis but first she must convince bad-boy James to give up his fancy-free ways…

24 comments to “Shelley Munro and a Giveaway of FANCY FREE!”

My fish out of water incident was when I did co-op in high school.They placed me with the Children’s Aid Society. All these kids and their parents coming in for help.they just told me to help where I thought needed it.It was so busy,people running around.I had no clue what to do.

Wow! Talk about a fish out of water story, sounds like an interesting read I can’t imagine being in a situaion like that!

I’m not sure if I have a lot of fish out of water tales but I know the one that immediately popped into my head was the day I started volunteering at a little book/mechandise shop at my local library, it seemed like it would be pretty simple. All I had to do was set up help the customers and clean up when I closed.

Needless to say it got tougher when I started waiting on people, working on the cash register was a bit more difficult then I’d first immagined and I had to write out the receipts as well as list the items that someone was purchasing.

Luckily most of the customers were real friendly and some of them even helped me when I was working, I guess in the end I wasn’t fast enough because I never got called again to work at the shop.

It was neat while it lasted though and I don’t really regret the descision to volunteer there.

Your book sounds delicious. Can’t say I ever read a book set in a condom factory. LOL. Sounds so fun. I always feel like a fish out of water when I start a new job. Worked in assisted living as a cook and have to learn all the names of the elderly and their diets, likes, & dislikes. And the elderly make very clear what they don’t like. LOL. I always figure they can be how ever picky they want to be at their ages. They earned it.
Sue B
katsrus(at)gmail(dot)com

Honestly, most of my life, especially in the workplace, I’ve been a fish out of water. Especially at meetings where everyone is sitting around trying to impress the boss, while I’m doodling monsters on the pad in front of me and wishing I was anywhere else. I’m not cut out to be a responsible adult.

Oh my goodness, I have the best…. I just moved from Louisiana to South Carolina and believe me… FISH OUT OF WATER!!! It is amazing the culture different from one South place to another South place. And then to have to find a job without knowing a single soul….. It has been kinda rough. But I am like bad grass… Just just can’t kill it, lol!!!

Great post. My worst fish out of water incident was leaving home at 17 to dance for Disney. You see, I grew up in Redneckville, USA. We did not have a single person around that wasn’t white, boot wearing, big truck driving, and a little bit crazy. I was told no gay males like woman. Yes, I believed that. LOL. Geesh, this is embarrassing. I was sitting next to a good friend of mine waiting for a set to start and I asked him why this guy was so nice to me. He asked, “Why wouldn’t he be?” Me: “Well, because he is gay and I’m a girl.” He: Laughs uncontrollably then says, “I like you.”
Me: “Yes, but you’re not–” He: “Oh, honey, we need to talk.” *bows head in shame.*

My fish out of water episode was when I attended a reception and was stuck with a group of people talking about a project which I have absolutely no clue about. You can imagine my face when I was asked a question! Problem is I can’t leave the group because I was standing in for a friend!

I always feel like a fish out of water in new situations (I have serious social anxieties). The worse would be when I started college, in my 20’s. I felt so much older than everyone else (even though really I wasn’t. I am so glad I got that out of the way before my anxieties got worse (I can’t stand to be in crowds now, lol.)